Juan Mora v. State, 07-15-00279-CR

Juan Mora was convicted by jury of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for inflicting life‑threatening stab wounds on Elizabeth Garcia; he received a life sentence.
Garcia was found in her apartment with multiple stab wounds and an eight‑inch sharpening steel embedded in her head; she survived after neurosurgery. Two kitchen knives were found at the scene.
Neighbors heard fighting; Mora opened the door claiming someone was beating Garcia, then fled; he later was found hiding in a hotel and arrested. Garcia could not give a statement at the scene.
Mora did not testify; his self‑defense theory rested on jail phone calls and texts claiming an unidentified third man entered, stabbed him and Garcia attacked him, and he fought back. DNA and a witness placed an unidentified man nearby, but proof was limited.
Physical evidence showed Mora had superficial cuts; Garcia’s wounds were severe and sutured. Inconsistent statements by Mora (at the scene and in messages) and lack of persuasive evidence of a third attacker undermined his self‑defense claim.

Issue	Plaintiff's Argument	Defendant's Argument	Held
Sufficiency of evidence to overcome self‑defense claim	State: evidence disproved self‑defense beyond a reasonable doubt; jury may reject defensive story	Mora: produced evidence (calls/texts, some DNA, injuries) showing he reasonably believed deadly force was necessary	Court: Affirmed — viewing evidence in favor of verdict, jury could reject Mora’s self‑defense claim based on wound disparity, inconsistencies, and lack of proof of third attacker
Admissibility of testimony over spousal‑privilege claim (common‑law marriage)	State: Stewart had held herself out as Mora’s wife; court should admit her testimony	Mora: Stewart invoked spousal privilege as common‑law wife; testimony should be excluded	Court: Affirmed — evidence of holding out and cohabitation provided some support that they represented themselves as married; trial court did not abuse discretion in overruling privilege claim

Zuliani v. State, 97 S.W.3d 589 (discusses defendant’s initial burden to produce evidence of self‑defense)
Saxton v. State, 804 S.W.2d 910 (self‑defense burden shifts to State to disprove beyond reasonable doubt; jury credibility determinations)
Wilkerson v. State, 881 S.W.2d 321 (jury may accept or reject defensive evidence)
Russell v. Russell, 865 S.W.2d 929 (elements and proof of informal/common‑law marriage)
Colburn v. State, 966 S.W.2d 511 (agreement to be married must be present, not a future promise)
Heiselbetz v. State, 906 S.W.2d 500 (jury is sole judge of evidence weight and credibility)
Casey v. State, 215 S.W.3d 870 (abuse‑of‑discretion standard for admission rulings)